Jamaican Sprinter Usain Bolt says he has returned the gold medal he won for the 4x100-meter relay during the 2008 Beijing Olympics after teammate Nesta Carter was found guilty of doping there.
“It’s rough that I have to give back one of my medals and I already gave it back because it was of course required by the IOC,” Bolt told Reuters on Friday. “I’m not happy about it but it’s just one of those things that happen in life.”
During retests of Carter’s sample, methylexaneamine, a banned stimulant, was found, causing the entire Jamaican relay team to lose its medals.
Bolt now has a total of eight Olympic gold medals, but he said he does not think the loss of the medal tarnishes his record in any way. Bolt is generally regarded to be the greatest sprinter of all time worldwide, having won gold in the 100- and 200-meter races in 2008, 2012, and 2016, Reuters reported.
“I still think I’ve accomplished a lot. This hasn’t changed what I have done throughout my career,” Bolt said in a statement, NBC Sports reported. “I have worked hard and pushed and done things that no one have done before.”
Carter is appealing the ruling to the Court Arbitration for Sport, so Bolt has a chance to get it back if Carter wins the appeal. Bolt was tied with Carl Lewis and Paavo Nurmi for most track and field gold medals before losing the relay medal, NBC Sports said.
Bolt has previously said that he will retire in 2017 after London’s world championships, according to Reuters.
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